Life of Being a Crown Prince in France-Chapter 943 - 851: France’s Counterattack

As Joseph stepped out of the carriage, a group of Italian states’ royal family members and diplomats eagerly approached. However, they respectfully stood on both sides of the path, eyes filled with anticipation as they waited for him to walk by. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

Clearly, they had learned through various channels that the Crown Prince of France would likely come to the Tuileries Palace today, so they had been waiting here early.

France is now the "spokesperson" of Northern Italy, and this summit might determine the future prosperity or decline of the Italian states.

If they could obtain some key information from the Crown Prince of France before the summit begins, or even just exchange a few casual words to become acquainted, it might unexpectedly benefit their countries.

However, at this moment, a boy in his teens stepped out with several accompanying officials from beside the stone pillars in front of the Tuileries Palace.

Joseph’s gaze swept over the others and finally settled on him.

The boy was none other than Ferdinand VII, the Spanish Crown Prince and future King Ferdinand VII, while the one behind him was the Chief Minister of Spain, Count of Florida Blanca.

"It is an honor to meet you here, esteemed Crown Prince," Ferdinand first bowed and greeted, using a youthful voice, "Your glorious achievements have spread across all of Spain. My father mentions you every day, calling you his dearest friend."

Joseph also smiled and returned the greeting.

After exchanging a few courteous words, the boy silently stepped aside, and the Count of Florida Blanca, who had been following behind him, approached Joseph’s side.

"His Majesty asked me to convey his congratulations on France’s great victory," the Chief Minister of Spain bowed slightly and said, "You see, this war erupted too suddenly. From the outset, His Majesty ordered troops to support our staunchest ally, but it wasn’t until recently that the army finished assembling.

"Currently, the Marquis Lalomana is leading 50,000 troops stationed at Valencia Port, ready to assist you in Italy at any time."

Upon hearing this, Joseph merely smiled indifferently.

Clearly, there was considerable debate within Spain about whether to engage in ground warfare. It wasn’t until France displayed a trend towards inevitable victory that they felt assured enough to commit their troops.

If they had received these 50,000 reinforcements when Napoleon first crossed the Alps, it might have influenced the course of the war.

But at this time, deploying Spanish troops to Northern Italy serves no purpose other than giving them a chance to intervene in Italian politics.

Moreover, Joseph was well aware of the combat strength of the Spanish Army, which was certainly the lowest among the major powers of Europe.

He looked at the Count of Florida Blanca, saying, "Thank you very much for His Majesty’s wholehearted support for France.

"However, I suggest that the army of the Marquis Lalomana should assemble in Caceres ahead of time.

"The British Army has suffered significant losses in the Germanic Region, with even their Duke of York nearly captured by Lieutenant Colonel Saint Iler. Now is the perfect opportunity for your nation to reclaim Portugal’s former territory."

His voice deepened a bit: "Together, we might even recapture Gibraltar."

The Count of Florida Blanca’s pupils contracted immediately.

He had indeed heard His Majesty mention the plan to "join hands with France to reclaim the entire Iberian Peninsula," but in his view, that was at least ten years away.

Yet, the Crown Prince of France suddenly proposed a joint military action against Portugal!

This was not something he could decide on the spot.

He nodded somewhat awkwardly, "Indeed, as you said, this is an opportunity. I will report this to His Majesty as soon as possible."

Joseph continued to bolster his confidence: "Once the battles along the Rhine River conclude, I will promptly dispatch troops to assist you."

Of course, Joseph did not intend to commit too many forces to the Portuguese battlefield. After defeating the Anti-French Alliance, France would need a period of recuperation. The main force for the attack on Portugal would still have to be the Spanish Army.

Once Portugal came under attack, England certainly wouldn’t stand idly by—Spain’s national strength was significantly stronger than Portugal’s, and with some French military support, without British assistance, Portugal would truly be driven from the Iberian Peninsula.

Portugal was, after all, the British Navy’s most crucial supply point and forward base in the Atlantic Ocean. Losing Portugal would mean losing control of nearly half of the European maritime area for England.

So when Spain declares war on Portugal, the Iberian Peninsula would become England’s "bleeding point."

The British would have to continuously send troops and logistics supplies to Portugal, thus never able to recuperate.

France only needed to moderately increase support when Spain couldn’t withstand pressure—France and Spain are neighbors, and whether in terms of troop deployment or supply logistics, the cost is much lower than for England.

At that point, if Spain really managed to capture Portugal, England’s influence in Europe would greatly diminish, and Gibraltar, as an unsupported enclave, would be easily reclaimed by Spain.

This is the result France most wishes to see.

Even if Spain never manages to defeat Portugal, this is still a scenario France would gladly witness.

France concludes its war efforts to peacefully develop, while England continues to expend resources in Portugal.

It’s unrealistic to say that this would bankrupt England financially, but at least it would distract England from troubling France.

Moreover, unifying the Iberian Peninsula and recapturing Gibraltar have always been politically correct within Spain, and no one dares to oppose it.

As Joseph and the Chief Minister of Spain walked into the Palais des Tuileries South Hall, they had mostly finished discussing the plan for advancing into Portugal—this had been drawn up by the General Staff last year.

He glanced at the conference hall of the summit, gesturing for the Count of Florida Blanca and the Spanish Crown Prince to sit in the front row, continuing:

"By the way, I have a gift for His Majesty Charles IV."

The two Spaniards immediately cast interested glances.

Joseph leaned forward: "I understand that the Church issue has long troubled Spain, severely restricting your development. Since the reign of His Majesty Charles III, efforts have been made for Church reform, but with little success."

The Count of Florida Blanca nodded slightly.

People often say France is the "Catholic filial son," but in reality, the Vatican has little influence over France; among the great European powers, Spain is the one most deeply controlled by the Holy See.

Charles III had implemented Church reforms, weakening the Church’s interference in Spanish politics, yet the Church still held substantial influence in economics, land, and public affairs.

Joseph said, "The reason your Church is so hard to shake is precisely because they have the Vatican backing them.

"Therefore, to thoroughly eliminate the ills of the Church, you must address the root of the problem."